>After following the discussion about flow proofs this Winter, I was curious>to see which type of proof students would choose to use if left to their>own devices. I teach three sections of Integrated Math 2 using the new>textbooks published by McDougal Littell/Houghton Mifflin (it is a joint>effort). My students are 9th and 10th graders, many of whom do not have>English as a first language. The text presents three types of proof ->paragraph, flow and two column - at the same time. I tried to be neutral>in my own presentations and I always allowed the students to choose the>type of proof they wanted to use(unless they had to fill in the>justifications - at that point they had to follw the chosen format).>>At the end of the first unit which involved proof, I asked, as a test>question, "Which type of proof do you prefer? Why?">>The result was almost unanimous in the students' choice of two column>proof. They found paragraph proofs too wordy - hard to write and follow.>Two column proofs, they claimed, were easiest to read and follow because>the steps were in logical order with the reasons lined up right next to the>steps. The only class in which any students choose flow proof was my>weakest (in terms of both mathematics and English language)class.>>Any comments?>>Jennifer>>Jennifer Kaplan